The results of GB Boxing's Olympic project have not been as positive as expected. The performance of its six boxers in the Olympic tournament, which began last Friday, was disappointing. Four of them were knocked out in the first round.

The public project has received an investment of around £12 million (14,26 million euros) from governments and currently only two representatives remain in the tournament. The ambitious investment was aimed at developing a truly elite level of performance but seems to have failed to deliver. 

Before GB Boxing took over the management of these funds, a number of options were suggested and debate ensued. Given the current management, England, Scotland and Wales are dependent on these results. The countries could have sent their own boxers without relying on GB Boxing if the decision had not been made to operate as an independent organisation.

There is undoubtedly a debate about the most appropriate form of governance. GB Boxing is not a national federation, it is a separate organisation. England could have sent boxers through their respective national federations, as could Scotland and Wales. Ultimately, the decision was left to the leaders of GB Boxing, including Rob McCracken and the GB Boxing team.

At the end of the Olympic competition and after the four-year development programme, when the results are in, it will be time to assess whether the £12 million budget has been a positive investment.

It will also be necessary to analyse the dual roles of some members of the organisation, such as the CEO of GB Boxing, Matt Holt, who is also involved in the structure of World Boxing under the leadership of Boris van der Vorst. This is likely to create extra work and divide efforts.

In any case, it is surprising that one of the most credible organisations in the world, such as GB Boxing, with boxers such as Olympic medallist Anthony Joshua, could achieve such poor results. However, the two remaining boxers in Paris 2024 could still salvage the situation.

Some time ago, Rob McCracken, the Performance Director of GB Boxing, who is also Anthony Joshua's trainer, mentioned that the IBA did not allow GB Boxing boxers to take part in their events. However, Chris Roberts, the CEO of the IBA, denied this claim. It is unclear why the GB Boxing boxers did not ultimately take part in the IBA events.

UK Sport's funding programme for the Olympic cycle totals over £245 million (290,8 million euros), of which £12 million (12,267 million euros) has been allocated to the world-class Olympic boxing programme. This is similar to the amount allocated to equestrian sport, where Great Britain is a major power, or to gymnastics, or to triathlon, a sport in which Great Britain has traditionally done very well.